Turkey: international groups call on parliament to reject the “disinformation” bill as a tool of digital censorship - Article

Law designed to expand censorship online and criminalize free flow of information

Who is afraid of journalists? The MFRR Italy Mission Report - Article

The collection of findings and recommendations by the partners of the MFRR, in a booklet curated by OBCT.

Following the MFRR Italy Mission from 4 to 6 April, coordinated by OBCT, the conclusions about SLAPP, defamation and safety of journalists are published here

Interviewing Journalism II. Needs and gaps in support for women and local journalists - Article

As part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response, OBC Transeuropa published a new needs and gaps analysis building on the findings of the research carried out in 2021. The study, conducted by Maria Francesca Rita, focuses on the needs of women and local journalists and the gaps in the existing support mechanisms

Albania: Investigations needed over intimidation of journalists reporting on prosecutor’s vetting - Article

Together with other media freedom and journalists’ organisations, we sent a letter to the Albanian Commissioner for the Right to Access to Information and Personal Data Protection to express our serious concern over the recent private data breaches and intimidation of at least two journalists

New report by the Media Freedom Rapid Response finds systemic challenges to press freedom in Greece - Article

Today, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) publishes the report “Controlling the Message: Challenges for independent reporting in Greece”, which details the findings and recommendations of its online fact-finding mission to Greece

Spain: Energy company launches €17.6 million SLAPP lawsuit against El Confidencial - Article

MFRR partners condemn the vexatious SLAPP lawsuit against the newspaper El Confidencial by the Spanish electricity company Iberdrola, which is claiming €17.6 million for alleged “reputational damage”. The MFRR partners see the lawsuit as another example of the urgent need for the introduction of anti-SLAPP legislation at the EU and national levels and reform of the current legal provisions on protection of honour and reputation in line with international freedom of expression standards

Daphne Caruana Galizia: Landmark Public Inquiry recommendations must be implemented - Article

We the undersigned organisations welcome the conclusions and recommendations of the milestone Public Inquiry into the assassination of Malta’s leading investigative journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia. Now is the moment for the Maltese authorities to consider and accept the Board’s detailed recommendations and to publish a plan of action on how they will be implemented in a non-partisan manner without delay and ensure better protection of journalists going forward

Women journalists and media workers: MFRR submission to the United Nations Special Rapporteur - Article

Across Europe, online and offline verbal abuse, threats and harassment disproportionately affect women journalists and media workers. This submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression to inform her thematic report on gender justice considers barriers, challenges and threats that women journalists and media workers face in the exercise of their profession

Bulgaria: MFRR partners ask the interim government to examine the state of media freedom in the country - Article

Improvement of the situation in Bulgaria needs significant will, as well as a broader recognition of the fundamental role that independent journalism plays for the society. MFRR asks the interim government to prioritise the investigation of threats and attacks against journalists

Turkey: SLAPP lawsuit filed against academic over Paradise Papers tweet - Article

NGOs and journalists’ organisations call for the dropping of a lawsuit launched against the academic Prof Yaman Akdeniz by Serhat Albayrak, seeking 100,000 Turkish lira (€9,600) in damages for his tweets about the censorship of reports into the criminal investigations and civil lawsuits against journalists who reported on the Paradise Papers